THE NE..W YORKER get her-it is Mlle. de Beauvoir who remInds her that things do wear out. She conceals several important things from Mlle. de Beauvoir-money she has put by, her love for Jacques-yet MIle de Beauvoir does not appear to be wholly taken in hy Mlle Leduc's versions of Mlle. Leduc; she says in her preface to "La Bâtarde" that Mlle. Leduc IS not as ugly as her writing in- sists and rarely as badly dressed. Mlle. de Beauvoir never loses sight of Mlle. Leduc's virtues-her intelligence and literary honesty and verbal skill; her depth of feeling and her willingness to admit feeling; her poet's concision and her chronicler's amplitude-and seems to helve decided that her faults do not matter, not (at least) in comparison with the enhancement that her writing offers a reader. So Mlle. de BeauvoIr hears out her complaints, takes her hand, acts on her behalf, and always-it is the de Beauvoir refrain and motif, when- ever she appears in the book-asks, " H b k '" " ave you een wor Ing r Mlle. Leduc's portrait of Mlle. de Beauvoir is more fl'lttering than any Mlle. de Beauvoir has painted of her- self: there is none of the priggishness, or maybe I mean scrupulosity, that in- sists on always being right-a form of arrogance, really, since moral per- fection is beyond human beIngs. The Simone de Beauvoir that Mlle. Leduc records just goes ahead and is good: she IS kind, warm, artistically knowing, and humanly acute, thoughtful both in her reserve and in her openness. Dili- gence is the only salvation she holds out to Mlle. Leduc; that "eems an accurate as well as a respectful judgI11ent. Well, is Mlle. Leduc's portrait accurate? I do not know, but I trust it: the world is full of good people-and MlJe de Beauvoir Inay be one-who do not know in what way and to what degree they are good. Her presence in "Mad in Pursuit" is an aesthetic advantage, for her encouraging steadiness and her selfless interest in literature Inake a fine artistic cuntrast tu so many othel I stormy, self-centered personages. But she is morally as well as artisticall) at- I tractive: a character as pure as milk. I -NAOMI BLIVEN I I I I I I I I I I ßRIEFL Y NOTED FICTION THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE, by George v. Higgin (Knopf). Eddie Coyle is a SI11al] fish in the Boston underworld. His fricnJs include JImmy Scalisi and Artie Valantropo, who are bank robbers; a vengeful airline stewardess, W'lnda; a rising 113 The World is lavishly Yours on an OLSON {f n{ .4t Ull1L -f I . [ ì\t TO YR! i a 1 ___ n v l ' "'y,IDj n r= i } I . j, You are pampered wherever j A " , J ' \ _j,J J'I r your dreams may carry ÎJf !/ \ \.' you-to iridescent Venice, . -!' I ' Aw , " '\\\\' 'hJI! ' ' t Polynesian paradises, {I r I 'J seldom-visited ancient t 'ì . .;,J:, t?(} Persia, the temples of the 1.JJl:JI, A " rI. { U p per Nil e. 0 Iso n ' s more JI,. - , 1 ,. - fèt ,/ tha n 40 years of experience ... lIt /:", f assure you of superlative \ i 't l - _ .1,'( .L ''tt hotels, sumptuous dining, the _______ At, ,, 'f/ ,- - I'" /; W 0 rid's m 0 s t e x per t to u r I' i' ( _ ' ,J / , r; conductors, unobtrusive ...... .;; r .;;1' " "1t' - · " , , attention to every detail. 'T; ". {i '" h Follow the leader in travel .. '.'_:: ,.. A \: (/ ' í on an Olson Tour! ..$. , \ X, / \ -', _ 1 Ask your travel agent or send for FREE brochures: . Olson's Orient '72 . Olson's World's Wonder Luxury Air Cruise '73 . Olson's South Pacific Luxury Air Cruise . Olson's African Adventure Safaris . Olson's Europe in Luxury '72 . Olson's Royal Coach Tours-Europe '72 OLSON TRAVEL ORGANIZATION Dept. NY One North La Salle St., Chicago, illinoIs 60602 Affiliated with Olson's Royal Coach Tours HOUGHTON MIFFLIN liTERARY FELLOWSHIP AWARD NOVEL HOW SHE DIED is the powerful story of two women who lived conspicuously at the center of their lives, creating an emotional vortex which engulfs those around them. One lived for a cause-and died. The other lived off giving - her time, her love, her sex. "80th the people and the life worked a powerful effect on me " - CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPT, N. Y. Times by Helen Yglesias At your bookstore · $6 95 r----------------------, Curl up with a good I I - . , \' \. \ . \' \" - " ,. \ '. A , . "An]' 1 I / ( BOOKWORM is an ingenious, very esthetically pleasi ng, one-piece device for keep- ing books firmly in place. Uncurls to hold from two to 22 inches of books; when one is removed curls up I automatically to hold the rest upright, up tight. Also good for hOlding directories, magazines, records, albums and tapes. Only $5.95 at most book, stationery, art supply and gift stores. Available in white, black, red and navy. Your check or money order can also be sent to Pentalic Corp., 132 West 22nd Street, NewYork,New York 10011. Add 50Ø to cover the handling. State color preferred. Money back if you're not absolutely delighted :q"!11, 4 , d Ir r I I '-t.: ( ....tl -t .' ta... ______________________ h